Ajman: Ajman has updated rules and penalties regarding COVID-19 for employees in local government departments.
The updates, mostly regarding positive cases and close contacts, have been announced in a circular of the Department of Human Resources in Ajman.
Quarantine period
The period of quarantine for an employee in contact with positive case is seven days, or any other period to be decided by the competent authorities in the country in the future.
The close contact can work from home during this period. In the event of repeated contact, the quarantine period is considered as annual leave (or unpaid leave if he or she does not have a balance of annual leave).
Cases of contact at the workplace, or with positive cases with relatives up to the first degree, are excluded from the application of the rule of repeated contact. However, the employee must provide proof of such contact with a report or a medical statement from the competent authorities in the country indicating the time and duration of the prescribed quarantine.
Violations and penalties
The circular includes eight violations, including not wearing medical masks at the workplace, shaking hands, and gathering without social distancing.
First instance and repeat offence
In the first instance of violation, the penalty is a written warning; the second time will see one day’s pay deducted from the basic salary, and the third time the penalty will be a three-day deduction from the basic salary.
Suspected cases
If an employee attends the workplace when suspected of infection with COVID-19 or in the event of a symptom of COVID-19, the first time penalty entails a three-day deduction from the basic salary; in the second time, a five-day deduction from the basic salary, and in the third time, 10 days of the basic salary will be deducted.
Failure to maintain status
If the employee does not maintain green status in Alhosn App, or fails to notify that he or she was a close contact of a positive case: One day of basic salary is deducted the first time, three days the second time, and five days of basic salary is deducted the third time.
